City's Willy Caballero playing for his future in FA Cup

Alam Khan - Reporter 19:31 30/01/2016
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  • Point to prove: Willy Caballero.

    With cup competitions his only chance to prove he has a future at Manchester City, Willy Caballero has his heart set on achieving a dream double.

    The Argentine keeper is set to face Aston Villa in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth round tie, just days after helping his side into the League Cup final following a 4-3 aggregate win over Everton. And with Caballero linked with a summer exit if Pep Guardiola replaces Manuel Pellegrini as City boss, the 34-year-old wants to make it a season to remember and show his value.

    “It would be perfect to play in two cup competitions and win them both, we need to win everything this year,” said Caballero, who has been unable to displace Joe Hart as No. 1. “The most important thing is the first step, and we have done that, we are in the first final. Now we need to win the next game against Aston Villa.

    “I play in the cup games so there is pressure on me to show what I can do. And even in the game against Everton, the first goal we conceded, so all the time it is pressure for me. But I am always ready to do my best in every game.

    “If the boss decides I have to play against Aston Villa then I’m ready. They are important for me, every match of the League Cup or FA Cup.

    “We listen to all the rumours [about the future of the players], but in a big team like this, it’s normal. But all the players every season here, the pressure is very high. So we are doing our best every game and it doesn’t matter about the rumours, they don’t affect us.

    “It’s not easy to talk about Guardiola because he’s not here. But if he stays here, all the players for sure wish to play under Manuel every game.”

    Caballero also played under Pellegrini at Malaga and triumphing twice in the cups with City would also help wipe out the memory of his only other Wembley appearance, when he was beaten three times in a disappointing debut defeat to Arsenal in the 2014 Community Shield.

    “It’s a bad memory for me, but I forgot this game and try to think about the new one now, this [League Cup] final,” he adds. “I am very happy I have the chance to go back and change that.”

    But City’s bid to win an unprecedented four trophies, including Premier League and Champions League, this season have been dented by the loss of record signing Kevin De Bruyne, out for up to 10 weeks after ankle and knee injuries in Wednesday’s success over Everton.

    Pellegrini says he will not move to replace De Bruyne in the transfer market, nor turn to youngster Patrick Roberts, who will instead join Celtic on loan.

    Having been without Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany through injury, the City boss has faith in the strength of his squad as he said: “You have some players that are impossible to replace because they are top players, but we did it.

    “We replaced Kun, we replaced David and we replaced Vincent Kompany. That is why we are involved in all the competitions and three points from the leaders of the Premier League.

    “It’s a challenge for the squad and of course it’s a challenge for the players that play where Kevin does. I think that Raheem Sterling, Jesus Navas, David will have more responsibility knowing that Kevin is not here.”

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